By Anela Henley.
I never thought I’d be starring in a movie that I made, but just by nature of the circumstances I had to. I think that elevated me as a filmmaker….”
Writer-director Joe Begos broke into the indie film scene in 2019 with his third feature Bliss, incorporating doom metal and drug-fueled inspiration for a hybrid of horror and artist character study. He followed up with VFW (2019), a gory Assault on Precinct 13-style invasion horror, with a veteran cast, and the robot Christmas slasher, Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022), which began life as a pitch for a Silent Night, Deadly Night remake.
His practical special effects work tributes 70s/80s horror cinema, while adding a new flavor with gritty, yet beautiful settings infused with neon lights. His new explosive film, Jimmy and Stiggs, was shot on 16mm with standout practical effects. This tripped-out, neon-splattered alien invasion stars the filmmaker and was begun during COVID-19 quarantine, which encouraged Begos to shoot the film in his own neon-decorated apartment.
Eli Roth’s new studio, The Horror Section, picked up Begos’ recent film for distribution and hosted a month-long promotional roadshow with Begos and CEO Jon Schnaars. During the post-screening Q & As, Begos discussed how the film took over four years to complete and the challenges of capturing the experience of filmmaker Jimmy Lang (played by Begos), as he fights off a siege of aliens. His old friend Stiggs (Matt Mercer) arrives for help, which proves to be a complication.
Having the film set on one single location, Begos stated how his apartment stayed true to its usual vibe, having written the film there, as well:
I’m proud the effects came out well and happy that we could make the movie feel fresh as it went along, even though it was shot at one location. I’m relieved that I nailed some of the long-take dialog scenes because I’m not an actor. And I’d act again, just not as the star. I’ll star in someone else’s movie because I wouldn’t have to worry about anything else besides acting. I acted in another movie this summer for Josh Trank, who did Chronicle and Fantastic Four. It was fun to be on set with a bunch of real actors and technicians and not have to do anything else.”
The music helps establish a vibe consistent through Begos’ work:
[Doom metal] is just inherent because that’s a lot of what I listen to while writing. There’s a lot of scenes that are visualized, structured or built while listening to certain tracks. During Christmas Bloody Christmas, especially the house massacre, I was listening to that Earthless song (featured in the film) while I wrote it and very much wanted that to be (on the soundtrack). Then other times it’s not necessarily the song that’s in my head but something similar that we can cut to. If we need a needle drop, I’m always using the stuff I really like.”
Begos’ films attempt to create a psychedelic trip for the viewer, and as in his others, drug use comes to the forefront of the plot. When asked about the influence drugs have in his films, he was very open: “I like various hallucinogen drugs; DMT is an important experience for me. I think everyone could benefit from taking a little ‘shrooms here and there. LSD I probably take the least, since I’m more of a DMT guy; it’s quick strong and to the point.”
Begos feels that Jimmy and Stiggs has taken his career to new level: “I never thought I’d be starring in a movie that I made, but just by nature of the circumstances I had to. I think that elevated me as a filmmaker, having to learn how to direct myself along with other actors. It’s like when I learned how to do my own production design, which helped me learn to direct production designers better. We did Christmas Bloody Christmas halfway through production on (Jimmy and Stiggs); you can see the evolution of my directing of actors or aesthetics because of the things I learned, having to do so much of it myself.”
As for what Begos is most proud of accomplishing thus far in his career, “Bliss and Jimmy and Stiggs came out as the purest in what I wanted and felt. I grew as a filmmaker the most with those two movies. Those are the two films I’ll probably be remembered for, but hopefully for more down the road.” With Begos’ personality and lifestyle shining through his work, his cinematic universe, as it pays homage with a breath of fresh air, should keep expanding.
Anela Henley is a film and metal journalist based in Camden, New Jersey.